The Alpha Female

FIFTEEN: AS THE CORN GROWS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: AS THE CORN GROWS

            The light chirp of a bird aroused Taima from his sleep.  The sun had not yet risen and the men of the party were all asleep under their makeshift shelter.

            Taima lifted his head, listening.  He could hear the bubbling of the river, it was no longer a drowning roar.  The ford would be crossable today. 

            “Blyn,” Taima called softly, shaking the large man sleeping beside him.  “Blyn, wake up.” The man groaned, swatting back at the teen as if he were a fly.

            “I’m up,” he croaked, “I’m up.” Blyn sat up, rubbing at his big brown eyes, so dark and deep set that they appeared black in the dim lighting.  “Hey,” he shouted, slapping the man closest to him in the shoulder.  The man stirred, resulting in another swat from Blyn.  “Up,” he said, rising to his feet and stretching his stiff muscles.

            Taima followed suit, waking up man after man until all six of the party were on their feet and tearing down the shelter to make it appear that it was nothing more than a few brambles of a deadfall to begin with.  And with that the party shifted and was heading towards the ford.

            The party started off at a steady pace, increasing the speed of their loping gates as their muscles warmed and the sun broke over the horizon.  They were coming for Suka, and it made Taima proud to be the first one up.  If it weren’t for him they could have easily slept under Ahote’s watch until the sun had been far above the crest of the far hills.

            Soon they were at the ford, the water rising mid hock and spanning for nearly half a mile wide.  The small party set out across the slippery rocks, careful with their footing, careful not to slip and get swallowed up downstream as the padded through the water.

            Taima tipped his head, catching a mouthful of the frigid water.  The pads of his feet were numb from a mixture of repetitive pounding and the freezing water.  Soon the snows would come, but judging by the sky it wouldn’t be soon enough.  The air was crisp and the sky blue.  It was a perfect day for tracking.

            I reached into the bowl of popcorn, eating the handful and catching the few pieces that tried to escape my mouth.  The taste of butter was indescribable.  It was an incredulous feeling, it melting in my mouth, the popcorn shrinking purely by my saliva.  Lovely.

            “Jen, you have to understand.  What I did to you I did out of love.”

            “Josh,” the woman on the television turned from him, a hand held dramatically to her forehead.  “You slept with my sister!”

            “Jen, forgive me.  You know that if I hadn’t she would have blackmailed Billy into entering the State Fair, his watermelons aren’t ready and you know it.”

            Mason’s mother and I were busy watching a soap opera called “As the Corn Grows” it was fascinating, but still a little confusing.  I still didn’t understand how the people got on the television.

            “This is the best part,” Mason’s mother, Jodi, stated, stealing another handful of popcorn.  I adjusted myself on the couch, giving the television my full attention as Jen slapped Josh on the cheek.

            “You…you unthoughtful-”

            “Inarticulate.” Jodi filled in.

            “Indiscreet!” Jen shouted.

            “Rash.”

            “Filibusterer.  You lied to me, and you lied to this country.” Jen finished as Jodi mouthed the words.  I didn’t know what half of the things that Jen had just said meant, but they seemed interesting enough.